Exploring the impact of climate change anxiety and social media information overload on unusual purchase behavior

Climate change has profoundly reshaped consumer behavior, leading to unprecedented shifts in shopping patterns and preferences. This study explores these transformations by analyzing data from 324 participants to uncover key factors influencing consumer decision-making during the crisis. Employing descriptive statistics, PLS-SEM, we examine the interplay between climate change anxiety, information overload, and cyberchondria, and their collective impacts on perceived severity, intention to self-isolate, and unusual purchasing behavior respectively. Our findings provide critical insights into climate change's long-term effects on the retail sector, highlighting trends and motivations that have emerged in response to this global disruption. By understanding these behavioral shifts, businesses can develop strategies to navigate the evolving consumer landscape and remain resilient in the face of future uncertainties.